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Nuclear Energy

Explore nuclear energy: fission splits nuclei releasing energy, fusion joins nuclei converting mass to energy. Uranium powers plants and naval ships. Learn how Uranium fissions, produces energy, and powers plants efficiently. Discover who uses nuclear energy and the pros and cons associated with it.

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Nuclear Energy

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  1. Nuclear Energy By: VivekTanna, Evyn Sewing, Dominic Genna, Jordan Beck

  2. What is it? • Fission: • Splitting of nuclei to release residual strong force energy • Radioactive elements from Actinide series used; Uranium • Provides energy in power plants, some naval ships, bombs • Fusion: • Joining of nuclei in which extra mass is multiplied by speed of light squared and converted to energy—E=mc2 • Not expected to be used by humans before 2050 as no material can contain it; happens in the sun • Both: • Exothermal processes: thermal energy like fossil fuels

  3. How it Happens—Uranium • Uranium-235 is naturally occurring and constantly decays alpha particles (two protons, two neutrons) • Uranium originated in stars that formed planet earth • Non-renewable because Uranium can run out • Firing one neutron at the nucleus makes it unstable and causes it to split, sending off more neutrons • Gamma radiation (energetic photons) caused by the split, beta radiation (electrons) by resultant pieces • In the Uranium used by power plants, 2-3% is U-235; weapons-grade Uranium is at least 90% U-235 • The fission of one U-235 releases 200 MeV (million electron Volts); one pound could replace one million gallons of gas

  4. Power Plants • As Uranium fissions, more neutrons are sent—chain reaction • Uranium fissions in a reactor with water, which is heated • Steam of water turns turbines to generate electricity • Put simply, steam goes to cooling tower and the cycle repeats • There are sometimes secondary cooling cycles • Neutron-absorbing control rods can be placed nearer or farther from U to increase or decrease thermal energy production • Thick concrete and steel layers line the reactor core to prevent leaking radiation • Radioactive waste must be stored mixed with glass in cooled concrete structures

  5. Power Plants

  6. Who Uses It • Supplies: • 76.2% of Lithuania’s energy • 75.2% of France’s energy • 20% of the USA’s energy • 140 naval vessels are run on nuclear propulsion • Some countries with nuclear weapons: • U.K., France, United States • Asia: China,India, Pakistan, Russia, Israel, North Korea

  7. Pros • Organizations: • World Nuclear Association • IAEA • Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy • Points: • 2 billion metric tons less CO2 emitted per year • Less radioactivity than fossil fuels when used properly • Less fluctuating prices • Million times more energy produced per unit weight

  8. Cons • Organizations: • Greenpeace international • NIRS • Points: • Radioactive waste emits heat & radiation and is expensive to store mixed with glass in cool concrete structures • Accidents cause deaths and require city evacuations, but more deaths are caused by fossil fuel pollution (per energy) • Uranium mining, enrichment, and shipping is dirty • Expensive plants & risks of catastrophe • Disasters: Japan 2011, Chernobyl (Ukraine) 1986

  9. THE END

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